JACKSON, Miss. (September 18, 2019) – Tuesday evening, at the Allen Exploration Pro-Am Pairings Party held during the Sanderson Farms Championship, Carl Allen, Allen Exploration CEO, made a third consecutive $500,000 donation to the Campaign for Children’s of Mississippi. Allen, and his wife, Gigi, from Dallas, are close friends with the Sandersons, and with last evening’s contribution have donated $1.5 million to the campaign.
“My wife and I are fully committed to the children in Mississippi and especially those at Batson Children’s Hospital through the Sanderson Farms Championship,” said Allen. “We realize that you can’t affect change unless you affect it at the level of the children.”
The Allens’ reach goes beyond Mississippi and the U.S. with other children’s philanthropic endeavors including the Wichita, Kansas-based Envision, and Dallas-based Envision Lighthouse for the Blind, both created to improve the lives of partially sighted and blind children through the gift of research technology. The Allens in the past year extended their gift of technology to grade school students in the Bahamas by donating approximately 600 tablets, to date. The Allens have currently shifted their focus to Hurricane Dorian relief efforts in the Bahamas.
“The recent devastation faced across the northern Bahamas is heartbreaking,” said Allen. “Our hearts are with all those who lost family and friends, homes, and businesses to Hurricane Dorian. Gigi and I remain committed to do everything we can to help them on this road to recovery.” Allen Exploration ismatching dollar for dollar any contribution up to a total of $1 million. More information can be found at allenexploration.com or walkerscay.com.
The $100 million Campaign for Children’s of Mississippi, also known as the GrowingCampaign, is helping fund the completion of a seven-story pediatric expansion at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The addition will more than double the square footage of the state’s only children’s hospital.
Plans include an outpatient specialty clinic, private neonatal and pediatric intensive care rooms for the state’s most fragile patients, an imaging suite designed for children and surgical suites.
When complete, this project will give the children of Mississippi a modern, friendly, welcoming place where they can receive best-practice medical care. The heartfelt goal for the Growing Campaign is to give all of Mississippi’s children a stronger chance for a full and healthy life.
The expansion is on schedule to open in fall 2020.
“We are so grateful for the friendship and support of Carl and Gigi Allen,” said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. “Three times in three years the Allens have demonstrated the value they place on the health of Mississippi’s children.”
Sanderson Farms CEO and board chairman Joe Sanderson Jr. and his wife, Kathy, who chair the Campaign for Children’s of Mississippi, helped launch the effort in 2016 with a $10 million personal pledge. With last night’s announcement from Allen, the GrowingCampaign has raised more than 76 percent of the $100 million goal. To get more information about the campaign or make a gift, visit growchildrens.org.
“Kathy and I along with everyone at Sanderson Farms are incredibly grateful to Carl and Gigi Allen for their ongoing commitment to Mississippi’s children,”said Joe Sanderson.“Carl and Gigi came to Jackson three years ago and visited the hospital, where they were touched by the children they saw, and felt compelled to make a difference here.”
The Sanderson Farms Championship, Mississippi’s only PGA TOUR event, is being hosted at The Country Club of Jackson this week by Century Club Charities. Funds raised through the tournament are donated to Friends of Children’s Hospital, among other Mississippi charities.
Tournament play for the 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship begins this Thursday, September 19, and runs through Sunday, September 22.
About Allen Exploration and the Allen Family
Carl Allen formed Allen Exploration, LLC (AEX) in 2016 to research, explore and improve the world’s oceans. AEX searches for sunken history and strives to improve the oceans’ environment. The Allen Family Office invests in multiple asset classes.Carl Allen is a renowned Texas businessman and philanthropist, known for building his family run business from 130 jobs up to nearly 1,000. He, his wife Gigi and their family strongly believe that creating good jobs and helping communities go hand and hand, so they invest in educational institutions and environmental causes that make the world around them a better place. Along with Gigi, Allen has been an active participant in helping further education opportunities in both the U.S. and the Bahamas.
About The Sanderson Farms Championship
The Sanderson Farms Championship is an annual stop on the PGA TOUR hosted by Century Club Charities, a non-profit, 501 (C)(3) organization whose mission is to promote the game of golf for the benefit of charity. The tournament’s primary beneficiary is Friends of Children’s Hospital. The tournament has been part of the PGA TOUR schedule since 1968 and is now in its ninth year as a part of the FedExCup. Sanderson Farms(NASDAQ:SAFM), the nation’s third largest poultry producer based in Laurel, Miss., is the title sponsor.
About Century Club Charities
Century Club Charities is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt 501 (C) (3) organization whose mission is to promote the game of golf for the benefit of Mississippi charities. Since 1994, Century Club Charities has served as the host organization for Mississippi’s PGA TOUR event, helping to raise over $15 million for statewide charities.
About Sanderson Farms
Sanderson Farms, Inc., founded in 1947, is engaged in the production, processing, marketing and distribution of fresh and frozen chicken and other prepared food items. Employing more than 17,000 employees in operations spanning five states and 17 different cities, Sanderson Farms is the third largest poultry producer in the United States. As a company, Sanderson Farms is committed to adopting a fresh approach in everything they do, not only where products are concerned, but company-wide as well. Though the company has grown in size, it still adheres to the same hometown values of honesty, integrity, and innovation that was established when the Sanderson family founded the company.
About Children’s of Mississippi
Children’s of Mississippi, part of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, encompasses all the pediatric services available at UMMC and at clinical sites throughout Mississippi. At the heart of these services is Batson Children’s Hospital, the state’s only hospital devoted exclusively to the care and treatment of sick and injured children. The Children’s of Mississippi network brings specialized clinical care for children to communities across the state, making it easier for families to get the treatment they need closer to home.
